Holder for newspapers or the like



Nov. 17, 1936. F. F. MURRAY HOLDER FOR NEWSPAPERS OR THE LIKE Fild June 4, 1955 lnvenTor. Forresi F MUTTQ by Mi AITys.

Patented Nov. 17, 1936 UNETED STATES PATENT @FFIQE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to a holder for newspapers or the like preferably of that type commonly employed for holding for temporary use newspapers and similar articles in the reading rooms of libraries and other places.

The object of the invention is to provide such a device which will not puncture or in any way damage the newspaper or other article temporarily filed or supported therein but which will enable ready and complete access to the paper.

The object of the invention is further to provide a light, strong, and durable device having few operating parts and easily and readily operated to clamp therein and unclamp therefrom the newspaper or similar article.

The object of the invention is further to provide such a device in which the margin of the paper is frictionally clamped and held between two smooth surfaces thus eliminating any danger of damage or injury to the paper and leaving it after use in the holder ready for binding or preservation.

The nature and objects of the invention will appear more fully from the accompanying description and drawing and will be particularly pointed out in the claims. I The drawing illustrates a preferred form of device embodying the invention of a character suitable for temporarily holding newspapers and adapted to be-placed in a rack such as commonly employed in the reading rooms of libraries and similar places.

The device is preferably made entirely of metal and for that purpose the main parts of the device may be made of aluminum, thus enabling the entire device to be of very light weight, while at the same time afifording ample strength for the purpose.

In the'drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device partially broken away, partially in cross section, showing a portion of a newspaper in place therein, and indicating in dotted lines the open position of the bar element.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the hinged end of the bar element.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a plug to which the bar element is hinged.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a slide forming a part of the device.

In the preferred construction illustrated, the holder comprises a metal support having a trough-shaped body, preferably with inturned edges and preferably terminating in a cylindrical tubular handle, a V-shaped bar having a wedging fit in this support and means at each end, and

preferably also intermediate the ends of the holder, for securing the bar to the support in clamping position.

The metal support as illustrated presents the cylindrical tubular handle I and integral therewith and extending therefrom the trough-shaped body 2, the two edges of which are shown inturned at 3 and 4 so that these edges extend substanthe support is driven in and rigidly secured. This plug is bifurcated at its inner end and between the bifurcations l is pivotally mounted the end of the other main element of the device. This element is a V-shaped bar 3 preferably hollow. Its size in cross section is such that it fits snugly into the opening between the sides of the trough-shaped body, or in the case illustrated between the inturned edges 3 and 4, as shown in Fig. 3. At one end it is provided with a solid L- shaped plug 9 driven in and secured therein and this plug 9 is hingedly mounted in the plug 8 by means of the pintle Ill. The V-shaped bar and the plug 6 are secured together before the latter is positioned in the trough-shaped body and consequently it is impossible for the pintle it to work loose.

The article to be held such as a newspaper indicated at H is positioned with its margin extending into the trough-shaped body and then the V-shaped bar is brought with a wedging fit into the longitudinal opening 5 in the troughshaped body. Thus the margin of the paper is clamped between one side face of the V-shaped bar and the support and in the construction illustrated between one side face of the V-shaped bar and one inturned edge 4 of the support. Thus it will be seen that the margin of the paper is smoothly and frictionally clamped throughout its length and without any danger of injury or damage thereto.

The V-shaped bar is held in this clamping position by suitable means connecting it at each 'end to the support and in the preferred form of the device in addition by suitable means intermediate the two ends of the bar. The connection at one end is preferably a pivotal connection such as already described. The connection at the other end in the preferred form illustrated is e'liected by a longitudinally movable plunger slidably mounted in the tubular handle I and all) movable into and out of camming engagement with the end of the bar. For this purpose the end of the bar is shown bevelled at I2. A cylindrical plunger !3 is mounted in the tubular handle I and provided at its end with a lip 14 adapted to cam over the bevel [2. The plunger i3 is maintained against rotation by a pin 15 driven therein riding in a slot l 6 in the inner end of the tubular handle portion I. A small plunger r pin I! having a shouldered base I8 is mounted diametrically in the plunger I3 and pressed outward by a spring l9 seated between the base it and the inner wall of the tubular handle I. This plunger or pin ll has a rounded end and snaps into the end of the slot 6 when the plunger !3 has been moved into the clamping position illustrated and thus holds the plunger l3 against accidental retraction.

For large articles such as newspapers, the invention further provides a means intermediate the ends of the V-shaped bar for clamping it to the trough-shaped metal support. In the preferred construction illustrated, this comprises a slide 28, shown separately in Fig. 6, mounted on the V-shaped bar and having a camming engagement with the trough-shaped support at the side opposite that in engagement with the paper and acting to lock the bar to the support. This slide 20, as shown, fits snugly over the V-shaped bar. The top 2! of the slide rides on the top of the bar, a small inturned edge 22 extends a short distance over the side face of the V-shaped bar just above the portion thereof which is clamped against the margin of the paper. The other side 23 of the slide extends down over the opposite side face of the V-shaped bar and is provided with a recess having a cam surface 24. The inturned edge 3 is cut away for a short distance at 25 to receive the side 23 of the slide and to form a shoulder 25 with which the cam surface 2 cooperates. Consequently when the V-shaped bar is in clamping position and the slide is moved toward the handle, the edge 24 cooperating with the shoulder 26 looks the V -shaped bar firmly to the trough-shaped body intermediate its ends. To remove the newspaper or other article from the holder, the plunger I3 is retracted, the little plunger or pin i'! by reason of its rounded end yielding for that purpose, the slide 20 is retracted, and the V-shaped bar swung to a position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The newspaper or other article is then removed without any injury or damage to its margin which has been held clamped in the holder.

There is thus presented a very simple, efficient, light, strong and durable device for temporarily holding such articles as newspapers without any injury thereto.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

l. A holder for newspapers or the like comprising a trough-shaped metal support having an inturned edge, a V-shaped bar having a wedging fit in the said support and acting when in position therein to clamp the margin of the paper between one of its side faces and the inturned edge of the support and means at each end of the holder for securing the bar to the support in clamping position.

2. A holder for newspapers or the like comprising a trough-shaped metal support having an inturned edge, a V-shaped bar having a wedging fit in the said support and acting when in position therein to clamp the margin of the paper between one of its side faces and the inturned edge of the support and means at each end and intermediate the ends of the holder for securing the bar to the support in clamping position.

3. A holder for newspapers or the like comprising a trough-shaped metal support having an inturned edge, a V-shaped oar having a wedging fit in the said support and acting when in position therein to clamp the margin of the paper between one of its side faces and the inturned edge of the support, means for pivotally connecting one end of the bar to the support to enable the bar to be swung into and out of clamping position, and means on the support for locking the other end of the bar in clamping position.

4. A holder for newspapers or the like comprising a trough-shaped metal support having an inturned edge, a V-shaped bar having a wedging lit in the said support and acting when in position therein to clamp the margin of the paper between one of its side faces and the inturned edge of the support, means for pivotally connecting one end of the bar to the support to enable the bar to be swung into and out of clamping position, and a plunger longitudinally slidable in the support into and out of engagement with the other end of the bar for locking the bar in clamping position.

5. A holder for newspapers and the like comprising the construction defined in claim 1, together with a slide mounted on the bar intermediate its ends and having a carnming engagement with the support at the side opposite that in engagement with the paper and acting to lock the bar intermediate its ends to the support.

6. A holder for newspapers or the like comprising a metal support having a trough-shaped body with inturned edges and terminating in a cylindrical tubular handle. a V-shaped bar having a wedging fit between the edges of the troughshaped body and acting when in position therein to clamp the margin of the paper between one of its side faces and one of said edges, means for pivotally connecting one end of the bar to the support to enable the bar to be swung into and out of clamping position, and a cylindrical plunger longitudinally slidable in the support into and out of camming engagement with the other end of the bar for locking the bar in clamping position.

7. A holder for newspapers or the like comprising the construction defined in claim 6, together with a spring-pressed pin mounted radially in the plunger and forced into locking engagement with the handle when the plunger has been slid into locking engagement with the bar thus to prevent accidental retraction of the plunger.

8. A holder for newspapers or the like comprising a metal support having a trough-shaped body with inturned edges, a V-shaped bar having a wedging fit between the edges of the troughshaped body and acting when in position therein to clamp the margin of the paper between one of its side faces and one of said edges, means at each end of the holder for securing the bar to the support in clamping position and a slide mounted on the bar intermediate its ends and having a camming engagement with the inturned edge of the support at the side opposite that in engagement with the paper and acting to lock the bar intermediate its ends to the support.

FORREST F. MURRAY. 

